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Microsoft Fix For 'Browse-And-Get-Owned' Flaw Coming Tuesday

July 9, 2009
Two zero-day vulnerabilities, one reported last week, will be fixed in Microsoft's monthly patch release next week.

DHS Systems More Secure, Inspector General Finds

July 9, 2009
Report indicates progress has been made certifying and accrediting the Department of Homeland Security's intelligence systems.

IBM To Patent Data Mask

July 9, 2009
Big Blue's MAGEN system uses optical character recognition to selectively scramble sensitive onscreen information such as healthcare or financial records.

Cyber Attack Hits South Korea Web Sites Again

July 9, 2009
Attack denies access to some banking and U.S. government sites and is similar to DDOS attack that hit U.S. and South Korean Web sites in recent days.

Google Chrome OS: Vaporware Or Victory?

July 8, 2009
Chrome OS, Google's newly announced operating system, isn't just a swipe at Microsoft. It's an attempt to realize the cloud computing future that Google's been predicting.

Details Emerge In U.S. Cyber Attacks

July 8, 2009
Malware that targeted Web sites of The White House, Department of Homeland Security, the FAA, and others appears to be a MyDoom variant.

Web Link Shrinkage Powers Spam Surge

July 8, 2009
The popularity of Twitter has lead to a proliferation of URL shortening services. Now spammers are taking notice and using link reduction to hide spam links.

Cyber Attacks Hit U.S. Government Sites; North Korea Eyed

July 8, 2009
Attacks crippled at least 11 U.S. government and private Web sites for much of the weekend. No data is believed to have been stolen.

Social Security Number Prediction Makes Identity Theft Easy

July 7, 2009
Posting your birthday on Facebook could help identity thieves predict your Social Security number, a new study finds.

PostgreSQL Upgrades Open Source Database Performance Tools

July 7, 2009
The 8.4 release of the database project offers improved administration, security, monitoring, and SQL features.

Apple's iPhone Vulnerable To Hotspot Hijacking

July 7, 2009
The new iPhone 3.0 software automatically launches the Safari browser in certain circumstances, a feature that makes the iPhone more usable and less secure.

Goldman's Alleged Code Thief Makes Bail

July 7, 2009
Programmer Sergey Aleynikov is under travel and computer use restrictions while awaiting trial.

Microsoft Warns Of 'Browse-And-Get-Owned' Attack

July 7, 2009
Attacks have been reported that attempt to exploit an unpatched vulnerability in Microsoft's Video ActiveX Control.

Dell Launches Forensics Service For Police

July 7, 2009
Digital-forensics package of hardware, software, and services would help police reduce data backlogs. Dell partners include Intel, EMC, Oracle, and Symantec.

Apple Planning Fix For iPhone SMS Flaw

July 2, 2009
An SMS vulnerability in Apple's iPhone is slated for disclosure at the Black Hat conference later this month. Apple is reportedly rushing to get a fix ready.

Mobile Payments Startup Raises $8 Million

July 2, 2009
Bling Nation is entering the highly competitive space filled with deep-pocketed rivals such as Visa and MasterCard.

China's Green Dam 'Definitely' Coming

July 2, 2009
The controversial requirement that PCs in China come with the Green Dam Web filter may have been postponed, but the rule will be implemented, a Chinese official insists.

Google Sees Spam Surging

July 1, 2009
Spam, like movie zombies, just keeps coming. Despite the closure of spam ISPs, unwanted messages continue to spread.

Zeus Trojan Variant Steals FTP Login Details

June 30, 2009
A new variant of the particularly malicious Zeus family of Trojans has surfaced and is compromising computers at an alarming rate.

China Delays 'Green Dam' Mandate

June 30, 2009
China has pushed back its deadline requiring all PCs sold in the country to include Web filtering software known as Green Dam. No new deadline has been set.

Web Filtering Company Reports Cyber Attack To FBI

June 29, 2009
The U.S.-based company that claims its programming code was unlawfully included in China's Green Dam software reports being targeted by a cyber attack.

Sony Begins Shipping PCs With Green Dam Filter

June 29, 2009
Company beats Chinese government's July 1 deadline, but Sony disclaims responsibility for any damage caused by the Web filtering software.

ICANN Names Security Expert As CEO

June 26, 2009
Rod Beckstrom, former director of the U.S. National Cybersecurity Center, faces demands to make the US organization into an international body.

Most PC Users Have A Dozen Dangerous Apps

June 26, 2009
The average PC user has a dozen unpatched applications installed.

Defense Secretary Orders Cyberspace Command

June 24, 2009
Initiative aims to unify offense and defense in cyberspace under U.S. military command and enable responses "in Internet time rather than bureaucratic time."

Green Dam Deadline Remains Unchanged Despite U.S. Objections

June 23, 2009
Chinese authorities claim that putting Green Dam censorware on all new PCs sold in the country is necessary to limit young people's exposure to "harmful information."

Cloudmark Goes After SMS Exploits

June 23, 2009
The carrier-grade mobile messaging security system provides content filtering, reputation data, and monitoring of text and multimedia messages.

Microsoft Security Essentials Beta Now Available

June 23, 2009
Once known as "Morro," Microsoft Security Essentials is the anti-malware component of Microsoft's subscription security service, Windows Live OneCare.

Inside China's Spam Crisis

June 22, 2009
Approximately 70% of all domains used in spam since the beginning of 2009 have a Chinese top-level domain.

U.S. State Dept. Condemns China's Green Dam Filter As Boycott Brews

June 22, 2009
China is insisting that computer makers install Web-filtering software known as Green Dam on all PCs sold in the country after July 1.

Google Tries Blocking Pornography In China

June 19, 2009
The engineering effort may require disentangling Google.cn from search indexes associated with other Google search sites, like Google.com.

Google's Anti-Malvertising.com Fights Off Bad Ads

June 18, 2009
The site was created because Google has a significant interest in making sure that ad blocking doesn't become a standard security practice.

Microsoft Security Essentials Beta Coming Tuesday

June 18, 2009
Previously code-named "Morro," the free software will replace Windows Live OneCare, which included both security and utility services for $49.95 per year.

Apple iPhone, iPod Security Flaws Get 45 Patches

June 18, 2009
Software patches were bundled with Apple's iPhone 3.0 operating system released Wednesday.

iPhone Gets Enterprise IT Boost From Startup Apperian

June 17, 2009
Apple's lack of interest in being a major player in enterprise IT has opened the door for Apperian to work with large corporations to develop applications for the iPhone.

China Making Green Dam Internet Filter Optional

June 16, 2009
The government's edict prompted widespread derision from Chinese bloggers, objections from Chinese academics and lawyers, and criticism from security experts.

Former Google Employees Launch Web Malware Startup

June 16, 2009
The company will address changing malware distribution patterns and to provide a way to respond to Web security threats using automated techniques.

Apple Fixes Java Security Hole

June 15, 2009
The flaw could have allowed a Java applet to execute malicious code on affected Macs, potentially leading to information theft or a compromised system.

Twitter Security Heating Up In July

June 15, 2009
In an effort to raise awareness of browser security flaws, one researcher wants to post a vulnerability every day that shows the soft underside of the Fail Whale.

China's Green Dam Software May Pose Legal Risk To U.S. Computer Makers

June 15, 2009
A research report indicates that the Web-filtering software mandated by the Chinese government contains unauthorized, proprietary code from a Green Dam competitor.

Lawmaker: Power Grid Vulnerable To Cyberattack

June 15, 2009
Hackers could bring down electrical grids serving entire regions of the U.S., leaving homes and businesses dark for months, Congressman says.

China 'Green Dam' Censorware Called Security Risk

June 12, 2009
Chinese authorities claim the software is necessary to protect people from pornography, but the software has been found to block politically sensitive terms.

U.S. Court Weighs E-mail Privacy, Again

June 12, 2009
At issue: whether e-mail messages deserve the same privacy protection as telephone calls.

Army Unblocks Some Social Media Sites

June 12, 2009
U.S. troops within the contiguous United States can now access Facebook, Delicious, Flickr, Twitter, Vimeo, and Web-based e-mail. YouTube and some other sites are still blocked.

Mac Users Warned Of Porn Malware Threat

June 12, 2009
Trojan software presents visitors to certain porn sites with a pop-up message to download a Video ActiveX Object; the download carries Mac malware.

China's Internet Filtering Plan Widely Criticized

June 11, 2009
Critics claim "Green Dam Youth Escort" Internet filtering software for PCs violates licensing agreements and anti-monopoly laws.

Microsoft To Launch Morro Antivirus 'Soon'

June 11, 2009
The free offering will replace subscription Windows Live OneCare service.

Insider Snooping Becoming More Common

June 11, 2009
In a survey, most respondents acknowledged being able to circumvent security access controls at their workplace.

Symantec, McAfee In Settlement Over Subscriptions

June 10, 2009
Both companies will pay $375,000 in penalties and costs and will now make detailed disclosures to consumers.

Microsoft Fixes Record Number Of Vulnerabilities

June 9, 2009
The company's June Patch Day included 10 security bulletins to fix 31 threats in Microsoft products.

Is Apple's iPhone 3GS Enterprise Ready?

June 9, 2009
The 3.0 software and iPhone 3GS offer incremental improvements for corporate deployments, but experts note some key elements are still missing.

Black Hat Founder Tapped To Advise Homeland Security

June 8, 2009
Jeff Moss, founder of the Black Hat and Defcon security conferences, is one of 16 people appointed to the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council, as the government casts a wide net for perspectives on cybersecurity.

Alleged T-Mobile Data Offered To Highest Bidder

June 8, 2009
A note offering the data for sale says that the company's databases, confidential documents, and financial documents were stolen.

China To Require Filtering Software On PCs

June 8, 2009
Starting July 1, PC makers will have to install pornography-blocking app Green Dam Youth Escort on all computers sold in China.

Air Force Names Cyberwarfare Commander

June 5, 2009
The 24th Air Force, which will likely be based at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, will focus exclusively on cyberwarfare as part of the larger Air Force Space Command.

FTC Shuts Down 'Worst ISP In U.S.'

June 4, 2009
Pricewert LLC is accused of hosting and actively distributing child pornography, malware, and spam.

Federal CIO Kundra Looks Forward To Data.Gov 2.0

June 4, 2009
The upgrades to the site, which will be available in a few months, will feature new ways to find and use data, including the ability to tag data sets.

Google Widens Its Gaze In Street View

June 4, 2009
Google's continuous corridor of 3-D space with building facades and roadway geometry is generated virtually using laser landscape measurements and picture difference comparisons.

Verizon Business Unveils 'Computing As A Service'

June 4, 2009
The company's CaaS users will be able to access a real-time self-service portal to manage physical and virtual servers, network devices, storage, and backup services.

RIM Issues Patch For BlackBerry Vulnerability

June 4, 2009
Enterprise BlackBerry smartphone users could be at risk if they open a maliciously crafted PDF, Research In Motion says.

Homeland Security Keeping Central Cybersecurity Role

June 3, 2009
The department's operational responsibility won't be undercut by the cybersecurity coordinator, a DHS undersecretary nominee says.

Government Accidently Posts Sensitive Nuclear Documents Online

June 3, 2009
The 267-page document contains addresses and descriptions of civilian nuclear sites around the country.

Homeland Security Names New Cybersecurity Officials

June 2, 2009
Philip Reitinger, who worked in cybersecurity for Microsoft and fought cybercrime for the Department of Justice, will help to coordinate cybersecurity efforts across the government.

Google Executive To Become Federal Deputy CTO

May 29, 2009
Andrew McLaughlin will find that he isn't the only ex-Google employee serving the Obama administration.

Cybersecurity Review Finds U.S. Networks 'Not Secure'

May 29, 2009
The report dovetails with President Obama's call for the creation of a cybersecurity coordinator who will orchestrate and integrate federal cybersecurity policies and agendas.

Obama Announces White House Cybersecurity Position

May 29, 2009
Names that have been bandied about include acting White House cybersecurity chief Melissa Hathaway and Microsoft VP Scott Charney.

Microsoft Warns Of 'Browse-And-Get-Owned' DirectX Flaw

May 28, 2009
The flaw could allow a remote attacker to execute malicious code by convincing or duping a user to open a specially crafted QuickTime media file.

Government Wrestles With Social Media Records Retention Policies

May 28, 2009
The National Archives is trying to navigate complex regulations that require capturing and storing all sorts of content in the age of social media, cloud computing, and seemingly endless storage.

White House Launching Transparency Blog

May 28, 2009
In a nod to openness and citizen participation in government, the Obama administration also will open White House blogs to public comments.

Obama Should Scrap Cybersecurity Czar, Analyst Says

May 28, 2009
Gartner expert says president's plan to protect nation's computing infrastructure won't work.

Anti-U.S. Hackers Infiltrate Army Servers

May 28, 2009
Exclusive: Defense Department investigators subpoena records from Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo in connection with ongoing probe.

Government Panel Calls For Privacy Policy Overhaul

May 28, 2009
Report to OMB outlines the creation of a chief privacy officer role and chief privacy officers at every federal agency that already has a CFO.

VMware Invests $20 Million In Terremark Cloud Services

May 27, 2009
The virtualization giant will own 5% of Terremark, which produces cloud and managed IT services for large companies and government agencies.

Department Of The Interior Can't Locate Many PCs

May 27, 2009
The federal agency can't locate 20% of its computers and, because it has no encryption requirements, the missing PCs could be vulnerable to data theft or loss.

Obama, White House To Oversee Cybersecurity Leadership

May 26, 2009
The national security staff will include new positions for addressing cybersecurity, information sharing on terrorism, border security, and preparedness and response.

Firefox Extension Malware Raises Security Questions

May 26, 2009
Mozilla's diligent cleanup rather than catching malicious add-ons before they reach the public has rankled some in the security community.

Army Deploying Vista On Hundreds Of Thousands Of Computers

May 22, 2009
The migration is driven by the better security offered in Windows Vista and Office 2007.

President Clinton Data On Hard Drive Lost By National Archives

May 21, 2009
The drive contains snapshots of the hard drives of departing administration officials, information that had been stored on 113 4-mm tape cartridges.

Verizon Beefs Up Handset Security

May 21, 2009
The over-the-air authentication service enables workers to securely access business networks from handsets nearly anywhere in the world.

YouTube Launches U.S. Government Portal

May 21, 2009
The channel aggregates videos from the White House, CDC, NASA, and other federal agencies using a player that complies with government privacy regulations.

Mac OS X Users Warned About Java Vulnerability

May 20, 2009
SoyLatte, an X11-based port of the FreeBSD Java 1.6 "patchset" to Mac OS X Intel machines, is also reportedly vulnerable.

Interop 2009 Show Winners

May 19, 2009
This year's champs come from every corner of IT -- cloud computing, virtualization, network management, security, wireless -- and more. Judges also handed out a green award, and picked a favorite startup before announcing the coveted Best Of Interop winner.